Penny sighed there's no way for her to escape his ridiculous offer. She can't let her people and the work of her ancestors perish because of her pride, she finally gave in.
"I'll begin my journey by tomorrow break of dawn". She said giving into their pressure. The councilmen sighed in relief.
***
The journey to the empire was faster than the previous one, being that the number of travelers were fewer as they all rode horses.
Penelope was restless during the entire journey, she kept worrying about the safety of her people. The more time spent in the way, the more her people panicked in fear of what would happen next.
They got to the empire in five days, now familiar with the rules, her knights handed over their weapons without being asked to.
Penelope was lead into the main palace while her knights were taken to another quarters where knights and maids rooms were located.
Matt approached Penny on her arrival, "His Majesty was expecting your visit, your highness", He bowed slightly.
"I would like to meet with him when he is available", The butler nodded. "This way please",
With that they proceeded into another wing of the palace, he pushed open a huge double wooden door. It was the throne room.
"His Majesty will join you shortly, please wait", He bowed before walking out through the door.
The room was so large that her footsteps echoed. She turned around slowly, taking in as much as she could see.
A door creaked open at the other side, close to the throne. The Emperor walked in with four knights behind him, they wore suited armors with capes.
The Emperor wore a red royal rode that had dragons embroidered with golden threads on the material, he wore no shirt in the huge rode, his leather booth made his footsteps echo. He had the same smirk that Penny disliked on his face. He looked at her amused as he sat comfortably on the throne, two knights stood on both sides of the throne.
Penny curtsy on his arrival, "Raise", He commanded.
"If His Majesty is generous enough, I would like to accept your previous offer",
Theo grinned, "Don't back out later, I wouldn't allow that Penny", He turned to his left to one of the stationed men.
"Lord Steve remember my instructions, order your men to protect the villagers under my command. Let them enjoy what it means to be under the Emperor's favor", He smirked.
"Yes your Majesty", the man named Steven bowed deeply before he walked out, leaving the others behind.
"It wasn't that hard was it?, you should have accepted earlier to save yourself from the stress and panic attacks". He red eyes roamed down her body.
"You have grown thinner than the last time I saw you, trouble in paradise huh". He laughed out.
"You ordered other kingdoms under you to stop trading with my people", She gritted her teeth.
Theo's laughter echoed, "Still smart", He commented.
He stood up and stalked towards her with slow echoing footsteps, Upon getting closer to her, he whispered to her ears "You are mine now", Penny gave him a blank look, He grinned when he saw the expression. He turned to the other knights.
"Let's have a feast tonight to celebrate my new mistress", The men cheered.
Penny noticed they all had red eyes but not as dark as Theo's, they were all vampires. Her once only human populated kingdom would start having other creatures amongst them due to the merge.
Another close look at the men she noticed they all had striking handsome features.
"If you keep staring at them I might think you some interests in them, let's say I am a very jealous man, I think I should just execute them for treason", He murmured.
Her eyes widened "I dare not think of such, I wouldn't like to cause a strain between you and your men". He laughed "I was just jesting", "His Majesty must be a jester", She remarked.
"You keep amusing me", He held her hands and led her towards his knights.
Obviously everyone heard their conversation, being pureblooded vampires they had keen hearing abilities.
Theo stopped few feet's away from the throne. "Theses are my finest knights, you have met Lord Steve already, This is Lord Nate", He pointed at a man with dark brown hair.
"Lord Walter", a man with dirty blonde hair and red eyes.
"And Lord Ron", a man with green hair, he had a smirk on his face.
"And this my men is my finest mistress, princess Penelope", The Emperor introduced.
They bowed and she curtsy for formality.
Ron reached for her hand and placed a peck on her fingers, he gave her a small smile which penny returned.
"Your Majesty, She's a fine one indeed", Lord Ron smiled.
"Trespass and I wouldn't hesitate to run a stake into your damn heart", Theo glared at him.
"Am just messing around", He laughed to reduce the tension in the room. "Like you do to the royal concubines?", his eyebrow raised in question.
Ron was the player in the group, he was always bedding different women either married or not.
"Your Majesty, If I way request something from you, I still need my personal knight", She said snapping him out of the glare he was directing to the Lord.
"What's wrong with the ones here", He questioned.
"I have known him almost all my life and I can't choose His Majesty's knights no matter how generous His Majesty is", She stated.
"You never cease to amaze me and by the way they'll be busy with other parts of the empire but I wouldn't mind freeing one for your sake. Fine you can have your personal knight back". He said waving his hand.
"Just make sure he don't...", He stopped when the door open interrupting him, Matt came in view, he approached the Emperor and whispered something in his ears. Theo's relaxed face tensed up before turning to a frown. He nodded.
"We'll meet by the time of the feast, I have some work to do Penny". He said taking both hands in his and placing kisses on both of them.
With that he walked out with his knights behind him.
"Your highness, you came back", Hilda rushed into the throne room to meet her. "I am so glad you came back, it must have been a long ride, let's get you to bed to rest for a while", Hilda walked Penny to the room she once stayed in her last visit.
***
"Let's make a toast", Lord Ron said raising his glass. "To His Majesty and of course her highness, to the blissful union of the Emperor and his new mistress, Penelope and the addition of another kingdom under this great empire. To the emperor", He drank the wine in one go.
"To The Emperor". They all cheered.
The dining hall was filled with sounds of cutleries against plates. The table was lively as the Lords interacted amongst themselves and Theo keeping an eye on Penny.
"So you spent half of your life living in the Great temple with nuns and a prophet", She glanced sideways at him.
"Yeah I did", came the short reply.
"Enjoying your meal?",
"Of course, His Majesty has wonderful chefs",
"I know right, expect nothing less from me", He praised himself.
One thing Penny noticed about the Emperor was his pride.
Glass cup filled with blood in his hands, she had a disgust look on her face when she saw what the glass contains, growing up with only humans, she had never seen a vampire feeding or drinking blood and now she's witnessing such, she found it disturbing.
As if reading her mind he turned to her again "Want a sip?",
"I rather not your Majesty", She turned to her meal.
"I thought so", He replied with a knowing smirk on his face.
***
Penny laid on her head with a book in her arms when a knock sounded at her door.
Hilda's head popped in. "I am sorry for the interruption Mistress but His Majesty requested for your audience", She said bowing.
"Now?",
"Yes mistress, He's at the horse stable". Penny had a puzzled expression on her face, it had been a week since she became the Emperor's mistress and yet he had never called for her, he has always been busy. "Maybe he's trying to balance the empire affairs since another kingdom was added under his command". She reasoned.
According to her knowledge, The empire always waged wars against other kingdoms and empires to expand their territory. Now it's the most powerful empire in the whole continent, her previous ruler was ranked a war god, given his bloodlust. His only surviving sun ascended the throne after killing his father, his wives, his siblings and closed relatives. That only surviving son being Theo, most said he is more formidable than his father, no one dared to cross path with him or challenge him.
After spending a week exploring the grounds of the palace, it was easy to locate the stables. She wasn't done exploring every passage but she was confident not to get lost.
The horse stable was located a few yards from the servants quarters, on getting there she saw Theo stroking a black mare.
Theo heard footsteps approaching him, He knew who it was already by her smell.
"Your Majesty", She bowed.
"Enough with the formalities Penelope, come over quickly", He said without sparing her a glance.
Penny stepped closer to him to hear him say, "Isn't she a beauty", he said stroking the horse fur.
Penny had a closer look at the horse. "Indeed it is", She agreed.
"She has been my pet over the years, the strongest in the litter", He praised.
Litters refers to cats, she stopped herself from speaking, she felt him in his fantasy.
"Let's take Sofia for a ride".
"Excuse me?",
"My horse... Her name is Sofia, I named her after my mother". He smiled.
"My horse is in the stable too, there's no need to stress Sofia",
Theo smirked knowingly, "That's alright too".
He ordered the stable attendant to get her horse ready, shortly he came with a brown mare. "Pretty horse you got there", He commented. She smiled, "He was a present from my papa when I learnt how to ride a horse", She smiled remembering the fond memory. Her father had always been her favorite because he always make sure to spoil her.
"Phil has eyes for good things", Theo confirmed.
"You know my papa?",
"Penny there's no one that I don't know", He grinned.
He climbed on his horse with easy while Penny had a few difficulties in climbing the horse due to her dress, she never expected to go for a ride so she didn't bother to change her dress earlier. The stable man assisted her while Theo watched with a smirk on his face.
She gave him a hard glare, He loved watching her struggle over things. Seeing that she had gotten comfortable, He kicked his horse to start moving leaving her behind, Penny gritted her teeth before she copying him to kick her own horse, everything about the man annoyed her.
She tried to catch up to him so she fasten the pace, on getting to him she said "You knew I wouldn't be able to climb the horse with this dress and yet you didn't assist", She had a frown on her face.
"Where's the fun in that if I help you", He laughed.
"You are so unbelievable". She said still annoyed.